Mining shearer systems such as longwall shearers are generally employed in under-ground mining applications. The longwall shearers are configured to perform longwall mining of a coalface or other mineral deposits. During operation of the longwall shearer, a travel speed of the longwall shearers and/or articulation of shearer drums are typically controlled by an operator. The operators may manually track a profile of the coalface and may thereafter command a shearer carriage of the longwall shearer into a desired travel speed. For example, the operator may set a target travel speed into an ECM (electronic control module) of the longwall shearer. Similarly, upon manually tracking the profile of the coalface, the operators may command one or more shearer drums of the longwall shearer into a desired position. For example, the operators may provide the ECM with target position inputs for the shearer drums to follow the tracked profile such that the shearer drums perform optimal and/or maximum coal extraction.
Some systems have been developed in the past for implementation with longwall shearers and/or to make the longwall shearers operate autonomously. PCT Publication WO 02/064,948 relates to a method and device for controlling the advance and cutting roller height of a shearer loader according to the load measured directly on the roller carrier arm. However, such previously known systems do not vary a travel speed of the longwall shearer based on deviations from optimal and/or maximum coal extraction that may be anticipated for an onward coalface. Hence, implementation of such previously known systems with longwall shearers may not configure the longwall shearers to track or follow the profile of the coalface closely. Consequently, use of such known systems with longwall shearers may affect mining productivity.